Accepted Applicant List
Applicants that meet all eligibility requirements (which include passing the entrance examination) will be placed on the Accepted Applicants List. Placement on the list is based on the applicant's overall examination score, e.g., higher scoring applicants receive higher priority on the list than lower scoring applicants.
When openings occur for apprenticeship positions (based on the availability of work and demand in the field), the highest scoring applicant(s) on the list will be contacted by telephone. It is important to keep your personal information current with the Operating Engineers Training Trust in order to receive important communications.
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Please be patient as your coordinator will call you once they get to your placement on the list. Effective January 1, 2022, you will be on the Accepted Applicants list for one (1) year from the day you took your test.
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Note: It is extremely important that all applicants on the Accepted Applicants List immediately inform the Operating Engineers Training Trust of any change in contact information, e.g., telephone number, address, etc. We must have the changes in writing and you may fill out a contact form on our website.
Upon initial entry into the program, an applicant will be asked to provide all of the required documents including: a valid state issued Driver's License, Certified copy of their birth certificate, Diploma or equivalent (GED) and/or College Degree, Social Security card, and documents allowing them to work in the United States legally. Applicants will then be administered a Substance Abuse Test prior to being assigned to a training site. Failure to provide required documents or the drug test may be cause for rejection from the program.
Once assigned to a training site, applicants will be expected to attend training (as often as possible) at that location, Tuesday through Friday from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm.
Note: The applicant will NOT be paid during this initial training and evaluation period. Additionally, applicants may be dismissed from further continuance with the program for an inability to learn and employ appropriate safety skills in this training.
Upon successsful completion of the initial training and evaluation program, an Apprentice Coordinator (a representative from the Operating Engineers Training Trust assigned to mentor and guide the applicant) will actively try to place the individual into a paid position with a union contractor. This can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, or more.
Upon being assigned to a job, the applicant will be indentured and officially become an apprentice. Indenturing is a State and Federally recognized procedure that essentially "binds" the apprentice to certain rules and procedures in order to remain in the Apprenticeship Program. All of this will be fully explained by the Apprentice Coordinator.
Conditions of the Program
Once indentured, an apprentice will typically spend 6,000 hours in the Apprenticeship Program. During this time, the apprentice will be guided by the assigned Apprentice Coordinator who will work with the apprentice to ensure proper training is taking place; that the apprentice is attending required classes and following all rules of the program; and most importantly, that the apprentice is earning income working for a union contractor while receiving on-the-job training.
On-the-job training positions are paid positions. Beginning apprentices will initially earn 60 percent of the current negotiated Journeyperson scale rate with pay increases as on-the-job experience progresses.
After 6,000 hours of on-the-job experience, in addition to completing all required related and supplemental instruction, an apprentice will graduate from the program, be released from the indenture agreement, and henceforth be classified as a Journeyperson.